Brother in Less than Blood
by Light of Night
Summary: Ian has a twin brother, one who does not abide by their mother's rules and has been shamed from the family. Ian knows it is important to have him on their team though, as he has befriended one of their greatest foes- Amy Cahill. Dan used to stand Rigel, but with the pressure of the hunt he wants nothing to do with him. All Rigel wants is answers to his questions that seem to grow.
1. Headache

Ian and Natalie despised their younger brother. Well, actually Ian's younger brother, Natalie's older. And Ian was only older by a few minutes. Yet Natalie always treated him like he was younger. It was probably due to the fact that their mother rarely acknowledged his existence. Except of course the many occasions where he was being punished, the most noticeable punishment being the scar that ran from the left side of his forehead to his chin. Ian could barely stand to see it; Natalie taunted and teased Rigel about it. When it was given in a blow, Ian failed.

It happened one night when they were sparring. Isabel Kabra liked to call the children in to spar with her when she felt down. It always lifted her sprits because she always won… when facing Ian or Natalie. They always let her win, no matter how they argued the point, they let her win. Sometimes she'd win on her own but her children could fight her and have a chance if they were willing to.

Rigel would not follow suit and repeatedly would beat her. Once Natalie asked him why he didn't let her win like they do and he replied very loudly, "If I am the better at a skill I will not be defeated by the fear of what happens if I show my strength." and Isabel came over and hissed in his ear,

"You think you are better than me, son?"

"If you even have to ask in that way, of course." and she reared back whipping her hand around clawing him right above the eye, the shock of it sent him to his knees and Isabel said,

"Who's stronger now?" Rigel looked up at her and saw through the blood pouring down the side of his face, knowing if he replied the next would claw his eye out. He looked to his brother Ian, and instead of help or even a look to show he cared he saw Ian just looking at them, no emotion, and no movement. Natalie was the one that made it so that Rigel did not bleed to death, saying,

"Mother, shouldn't we get him to the hospital? I mean if he dies he won't feel the punishment as much." Natalie saying that made Isabel act, for she probably would have waited for Rigel to start begging before doing anything otherwise. And of course he never would have.

"Of course, we need to get Rigel to the hospital, this is a nasty cut. You really need to be more careful." her voice a sickly sweat sound, even though you could hear the cold threat underneath. All the children understood that at once, they were to never tell that Isabel created that cut.

The scar was only one of the many reasons Ian and Rigel were different from one another. And since that day Isabel realized that Rigel would not back down, so his scars and bruises became less obvious. After one incident that included a nasty poison and Rigel's pet rabbit dying he started making his own meals and buying his own food, making sure he knew where everything came from. When he confronted Isabel about she just exclaimed "My little boy has almost been poisoned! This is unacceptable!" and pinched his cheek a cold look in your eye,

"Mother, I know you'll take care to make sure it doesn't happen again!" he replied, leaning in to give her a hug, and then hissed, "This is not over, you know."

"Oh, I know, son! Most leaders wouldn't stop even _after_ their enemies were begging on their knees!" she laughed, "A lot of them are _our_ ancestors, just a few little fun facts."

"Yes, well I'd better be off, mother. They also planned for years sometimes and would still make obvious mistakes! Just thought you'd like to know about that little _problem._" Rigel laughed.

Then one day Ian and Natalie stopped talking to Rigel all together unless it was to insult him, it was absolutely necessary or if Isabel told them to. Rigel was just fine with that, he had already took the liberty to extract enough money for him to never have to work again from the family account and put it in his own personal bank accounts, ones that Isabel would have to rob to get the money back and kept emergency money hidden in various places around the house he purchased and hoped Isabel didn't know a lot about.

He already knew she knew about it. It was all he could hope for that she underestimated him enough to not figure out the, ah, _surprises_ hidden there. Being a Lucian did come with perks, especially when you were actually cunning and not just idiotic, arrogant puppies that follow their mother around everywhere. It sickened Rigel. And then there was the clue hunt that just unleashed a whole new array of troubles for Rigel. It also lead to a few thousand more disappearing from the Kabra family account. The money didn't really matter to Isabel, it was barely a dent in their savings and she can 'make' that much and more in less time than it took for Rigel to take it. But that's later.

Grace's funeral Rigel's POV

Our car slid up the drive way, and by our I meant mine. I had to take different route and car because Ian's and Natalie's car was too small for the three of us. Huh, then it's probably a miracle that they fit with those big heads of theirs. They weren't even there yet; probably stopped to get Natalie's nails done. Ugh, who wears designer clothes and gets their hair and makeup done by professionals for a _funeral. _For the funeral of our _Grandmother_. Well she's not our Grandmother, but we are related and she always told me to call her Grandma or Grandmother and then asked if I just called her Grace.

She never like us as much as Amy and Dan Cahill though, but she was still our Grandmother. I always loved to come here and came much more often than Ian and Natalie. Sometimes my visits corresponded with Amy and Dan's visits. It was much more fun with them there. Even though the first few times Amy had withdrawn into the Library and stayed there until meals.

Once, around midday I went in the Library to speak with her. I found her in the far corner with stacks of books piled all around her. Huge novels, autobiographies and even many world maps.

"Hey." I had said making Amy jump.

"W-w-what do y-you want, Rigel?" she stammered.

"I was just wonder what you did all day in the Library, it seems as if you don't do anything else." I picked up a book on some person; I hadn't even looked at the title. "You haven't read all these books today, have you?"

"N-no I s-set these out so I could read them over my stay."

"You must be a really fast reader then." I picked up another book examining the width, "This one's wider than my head!"

"W-well t-that's an a-accomplishment because you have such a large head."

I cocked my head sideways, "You don't really think that, do you?"

"W-what?" Amy asked, looking a little bewildered.

"I don't like having anything in common with my _siblings_. And they have such large heads." I thought I had heard her giggle, but if she had she covered it up well. "Enormous, aren't they?"

"Isn't your mom going to come down on you, for insulting them?"

"What?"

"Oh, it's just that Ian and Natalie had been here once, maybe a month ago around Easter, and they were boasting about how your mother likes them more. I was happy to see them leave.

"Well, I am only similar to my brother in genetic code, apart from that we are very different."

"O-o-ok," she still seemed weary. So I sat down across from her and took one of the books off the pile that sat to her right. After that her stutter seemed to all but completely vanish. We talked about the different types of books, and I learned that her favorites are poems. I myself had always preferred a good fictional novel. What better way to escape the real world that to completely immerse yourself with the world of dragons and warlocks and Princesses waiting to be rescued when in reality everything's so hard in the world.

We had talked for hours until Grace called us for dinner. We still continued our conversation until Dan asked "What's up with you two? You're, like, getting along and actually talking."

He then stood up and took out his fake ninja sword, "What have you done with my sister? Did you poison her? Give her a _love potion_?" He then smirked and sat back down. Obviously having thought he told a brilliant joke, but neither Amy nor I could understand what that was.

That had been a great day, and I visited even more often with Amy talking to me. We became close friends.

We loved when Grace told us about history, she gave it such characteristics, like it did happen and it will all be relevant in our future and important. I don't know why but she always, always gave me looks like 'Don't you dare tell them.' and I still have no idea what that was about.

I was thinking all this as I slowly walked around to the backyard, where the ceremony was to be held. I was one of the first people there, and sat down in one of the seats, just thinking about what life would be like now that Grace is gone. Slowly people, family members, from all over the world started to come. I had to vacate the seat and find my seat when an elderly couple came over and started yelling at me in German. I could have replied, being fluent in three languages and average in five, but I just didn't feel up to talking with anyone. Especially complete strangers, even though they are family. Then I saw Ian and Natalie and went over to greet them.

"Hello" I said, "did you get lost on your way from the nail salon?"

"No, Rigel, for you information we got caught in… traffic and we've also decided the we were going to have beef for dinner tonight. This is a horrid country."

"The actual land can't be horrid, sister, only what man does to it." I say, just to bother her.

"Are you feeling sentimental, brother?" Ian asked, walking over as he had gone off for a moment.

"No, merely correcting our dear sister."

"I did not need to be corrected!" she shrilled. All this would have seemed completely normal to the average person walking by, but if you stopped to listen you would have heard the coldness underneath the supposedly friendly sibling bantering. Then a commotion stopped our _friendly _greetings.

"She's trying to say 'DROP ME!'" we heard coming from a bit to our right. I rushed over while Ian and Natalie walked much slower. I came into view just as the Holt sisters dropped Dan on his head.

"M-m-madison!" Amy protested.

"Y-y-yes?" she mimicked.

"I'd advise you to stop, Holts." I stepped forward. Most people wouldn't even dare think about standing up to the Holts, with their massive size. If anything, Greek mythology taught me that sometimes size and strength can be a disadvantage. But that's only if the one with the size and strength doesn't know what that disadvantage is. And I would be willing to bet that Madison didn't know.

"What are you going to do, Scarface?"

"Thank you." Madison looked extremely confused.

"What's that? Do you have a brain injury? I _insulted _you."

"No, you asked what I was going to do and called me a very honorable name."

"What, Scarface? That's not a honorable name. That's an insult!"

"No, scars are only the prizes of a won battle, it is so good of you to notice!" I gave a sly smile. Amy was smiling now too, knowing that we had been studying Japanese history when we stumbled across that fact… or maybe I just made it up.

It was fun to frustrate the Holts, as long as you didn't get a fist in the face.

"Well, I'll be giving you another scar, _honorable warrior._"

"Sure. That will have mean I won. In some parts of the world battles were _always _to the death and the scars left over showed your strength."

"Shame we lost that culture. I would love to pound you like a bug!"

"Try." I said with another smile, holding my arms out as if to welcome a hug. Madison growled and charged, I wait until the last moment and side stepped out of the way and watched Madison barrel into the woods.

"Remember Newton's law! An object in motion will stay in motion! And that if the object has a greater weight it would be harder to stop!" Dan who had been brushing himself off was sitting, clutching his side with laughter as Madison came out of the forest, twigs and dirt covering her and stuck in her hair. She was obviously furious and looked as if to charge again, this time she would land in the pond, when her father called out,

"Holts, line up!"

The two Holt sisters left to join their family.

"That was great, Rigel!" Amy came over.

"Thanks," I said with an honest smile.

"Aw, does our brother have a crush on Amy, the stammering girl who dresses horridly."

"Aw, does my sister have a smaller brain capacity so that he can't come up with better insults?" I mocked.

"Really, you need to try and stop imitating us, Rigel. You need to be your own person." Natalie smirked.

"H-h-he is his o-own person! Don't b-be m-mean to him!" Amy said.

"Is she _trying _to protect you?" Ian asked as if this was incredible.

"Don't bother her! It's not her fault you're vain and arrogant."

"No, no, not vain or arrogant. We just know our… ah strengths. You wouldn't know because you don't have any."

"The o-o-only strength you h-have is y-your money!"

"Yes, money does help, but you can't possible think that's all we have." he winked and walked away, Natalie trailing behind.

"That was so cool! You were all like a ninja king master lord person thing! And Madison was all like, whoa, trees." Dan started seeming like everything was normal and then his face fell. "Wish Grace could have seen that." he muttered.

Amy went over to put an arm around him, "Its ok." but I saw the tear stream down her face.

"Well, I doubt she would have approved of that." I said.

"Come on, we should go find our seats." Dan says, "Hey, man, are you sure you're related to them?" He nodded toward Ian and Natalie.

"In less than blood, for all it's worth."

"Dan! You shouldn't ask that!" then she rushed ahead, probably to wipe away the tears.

I leaned towards Dan. "By the way, I know you call them Cobras," Dan looked at me, seemingly worried, "and I totally agree."

He laughed nervously, "Yeah, but in nasty families there's always the good one."

"Sure, let's catch up with your sister." we rushed to follow her and sat down in their assigned seats. Followed closely by the Cobras, as I've now decided to call them.

"Hey, Brother, you cost us time that we could have used talking to important figures."

"But don't worry, they didn't know anything important."

"Be quiet!" I hissed at them. The service went by in a blur, all I remember was that about halfway through Amy had grabbed my hand and I that I had squeezed it reassuringly.

Then a man stepped up to the podium and said, "Thank you all for coming, I am William McIntyre, Madame Cahill's lawyer and executor."

I heard Dan whisper "Executor? He killed her?"

"No, you idiot," Amy whisper back. "That means he's in charge of her will."

"If you will look inside your programs," William McIntyre continued, "some of you will find a gold invitation card."

An excited murmuring went through the crowd, followed closely by shouted complaints. I slowly opened my brochure, flipping the few pages… finding nothing. I turned to Amy, but before I could say anything William McIntyre continued, "I assure you, the invitations were not done randomly. I apologize to those of you that were excluded. Grace Cahill meant you no disrespect. Of all the members of the Cahill clan, only a few of you were chosen as the most likely."

After a moment Dan shouted out, "Most likely to what?"

"In your case, Dan," Ian said from behind them, "to be a stupid American git." Natalie giggled, she was holding a golden card, looking pleased but also slightly disappointed. Amy grabbed the back of Dan's suit before he could tackle them.

Then William McIntyre answered, "To be the beneficiaries of Grace Cahill's will. Now, if you please, those with invitations will gather in the Great Hall."

"Rigel," Natalie spat. "Your name's on the card too, so hurry up." With that she turned on her heel to follow Ian, who hadn't waited for her. I knew something was up then, why would they tell me my name was on the card when if they hadn't I would have left. But, still I got up with Amy and Dan and went to the Great Hall. They put their heads together and talked, but I was blocking it out anyway. I got lost in thought easy enough.


	2. Friend or enemy?

I was wandering towards the house in the crush of people. Then a memory floated to the surface,

I had been sitting in the Library, I had come to Grace's house the day before and was waiting for Amy and Dan to arrive. I was reading an intriguing novel, I thought. Sometimes I get so into a novel that the words faded away and I just watched the events fold out. Now I was reading and the story blossomed into color, I know that most people would think that insane, but it's the best way to escape the real world and most scientists agree that it had something to do with my head wound.

This story was about siblings that were always fighting, and they each had strengths, I could seem to 'read' or hear their words though. Their father was trying to find a cure to the Black Plague and another scientist wanted to take it from him. There was an intense conversation between the two when I heard "Rigel, Hello? Rigel? Rigel! RIGEL!" The voice started shouting in my ear, shaking my shoulder.

I shook my head, "No, I need to see this."

"RIGEL, RIGEL!" The voice shook me harder, 'why was this so important?' I had thought. I went to push the voice away, "Rigel, wake up! Rigel, it's me, Amy. Wake up, Rigel." The urgency in the voice made me open my eyes, had they been closed.

"What is it Amy? I was just talking to… Where did they go?"

"Oh, Rigel. I came in here and you were just staring at the wall, I know you sort of… go out of it sometimes, but you wouldn't answer when I called. And then I started shaking you and you stared muttering weird stuff about formulas and then you said 'No, I need to see this.' and I thought something was seriously wrong." I looked over to her, and tears were glistening in her eyes.

"Amy, I'm sorry I gave you a fright, but I'm here now."

"Yeah, it's stupid, I shouldn't have gotten so worked up."

"Nah, I'd be worried if you hadn't worried."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we're friends right?"

"Yeah, friends…" she trailed off.

I looked down at the book, it was a non-fiction short story about Greek mythology, something about Zeus. Absolutely nothing about four siblings, two sisters and two brothers.

I don't know why that memory came back now, but I have a feeling that the story I dreamt up was important, especially when I have been having nightmares about it, I always wake up right before I figure out anything important or I could barely remember what happened. But before I could ponder the matter more William McIntyre raised his hand for quiet. He took a document out of a brown leather folder.

"'I, Grace Cahill, being of sound mind and body, do hereby divide my entire estate among those who accept the challenge and those who do not.'"

"Whoa," Eisenhower Holt, the 'leader' of the Holts, interrupted. "What Challenge? What's she mean?"

"I am getting to that, sir." He cleared his throat and continued: "'You have been chosen as the most likely to succeed in the greatest, most perilous undertaking of all time - a quest of vital importance to the Cahill family and the world at large.'"

All most everyone started talking at once, some trying to be heard over others and some trying not to be heard. The people trying to be heard were asking questions; demanding answers.

A few stood out in my mind, as they reflected my own questions.

"'Perilous undertaking?'" shouted Cousin Ingrid. "What is she talking about?"

"I thought this was about money!" Uncle José yelled, among others. "A quest? We're Cahills, not adventurers!"

I noticed Ian and Natalie exchange looks and then Ian whispering something to her. She looked around until she found me, and Ian pushed her face to look at him again. He was saying something and looked rather angry. Most everyone else looked confused, except for Irina Spasky and Alistair Oh, whom were talking quietly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please," Mr. McIntyre said, trying to gather everyone's attention. "If you will direct your attention to the screen, perhaps Madame Cahill can explain things better than I."

I was extremely confused for a moment, then I realized that Grace had left a video of herself. I got angry then, didn't she know that seeing her again would pain people? She was dead and now we had to see her looking all healthy again.

But then I looked around at who was here, and figured out that she wasn't worried about that, most people were here for the money. No one, other than Amy, Dan and maybe me, really cared about her, oh, and maybe her sister or the odd relative.

I focused my attention on the screen as Grace's image flickered on. She didn't look as well as I try to remember her as, but she looked better that the last time I had visited. She was wearing a black dressing gown, which sort of rubbed me the wrong way, _she knew this would be played at her funeral! She could have at least dressed in something colorful to not remind us that she's, she's… gone._

I looked over to Amy and Dan, as if she knew it she looked back and I saw the tears flowing down her face, each one reflecting the light from the projector. I reached up and felt tears rolling down my cheek.

"Fellow Cahills," Grace began. "If you are watching this, it means I am dead, and I have decided to use my alternate will. No doubt you are arguing amongst yourselves and giving poor Mr. McIntyre a hard time about this contest I have instituted." She gave the camera a dry smile. "You always were a stubborn bunch. For once, close your mouths and listen."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Eisenhower Holt protested but his wife shushed him.

"I assure you," Grace continued, she had paused as if she knew someone would complain at that. "This contest is no trick. It is deadly serious business. Most of you know you belong to the Cahill family but, many of you may not realize just how important our family is. I tell you the Cahills have had a greater impact on human civilization than any other family in history."

More confused shouting broke out and Grace paused again, as if accepting this. Irina Spasky stood up and yelled, "Silence! I wish to hear!"

"My relatives, you stand on the brink of our greatest challenge. Each of you has the potential to succeed. Some of you may decide to form a team with other people in this room to pursue the challenge. Some of you may prefer to take up the challenge alone. Most of you, I'm afraid, will decline the challenge and run away with your tail between your legs. Only _one_ team will succeed, and each of you must sacrifice your share of the inheritance to participate."

She held up a manila envelope sealed with red wax. Her eyes hard as steel, but bright with warmth. "If you accept, you shall be given the first of thirty-nine clues. These clues will lead you to a secret, which, should you find it, will make you the most powerful, influential human beings on the plant. You will realize the destiny of the Cahill family. I now beg you all to listen to Mr. McIntyre. Allow him to explain the rules. Think long and hard before you make your choice. I'm counting on all of you." The screen went black and I felt a sudden pang of loss again. It was so hard to see Grace in the film when I was trying to let her go and hold on to the memories.

Everyone starts talking at once, as if it wasn't Grace, our dead relative that had just told all this, but just some random person.

"Greatest family in history? Is she crazy?" Cousin Ingrid yelled.

"_Stubborn? _She called _us _stubborn?" Eisenhower Holt shouted.

"William!" Alistair Oh called, his voice raised over everyone else.

"Just a moment! There are people here that I don't even recognize, people who may not be members of this family. How do we know-"

"If you are in this room, sir, you are a Cahill Whether your surname is Cahill or not doesn't matter. Everyone here has Cahill blood." Mr. McIntyre said.

"Even you, Mr. McIntyre?" Natalie asks, her voice silky with her British accent. She probably just asked to put him in an awkward position.

He flushed as he answered, "That, miss, is beside the point. Now, if I might be allowed to finish-"

Aunt Beatrice prevented just that, "But what's this about sacrificing our inheritance?" she complains. "Where's the money? It's just like my sister to come up with some foolishness!"

"Madame, you may certainly decline the challenge. If you do, you will receive what is under your chair."

Everyone in the room rushed to look under their chairs, Eisenhower Holt lifted up his daughter's, Reagan, chair in his rush to see what it was. I was still sitting there, staring ahead. Only half of this registering in my brain. Memories were flooding back, they stated when Grace said 'thirty-nine clues', where had I heard that before.

Once when I was little, before I grew defiant and _mother _drew my blood, I walked in on her telling Ian "See there's thirty-nine and we Lucians have a good portion of them already- Rigel! What are you doing here? I thought you were in your room!"

"Hello, Mother." I had replied, cheerfully. "What were you saying?"

"Oh, I was just telling him something that you'll learn too, but you have to prove yourself first!" She lifted me up and twirled me around, and then sat down with me in her lap. "Now, do you want to read a story?"

"_Mother, _I'm not a child anymore!" I said, even though I was.

"I know, you're my boy who is growing up so fast!" Later I realized that she was only so kind to me to avert my attention from what she had been saying.

And then a scene from that story, "I think I've got it now!"

"Really? Like you had it so long ago? The children need your attention! Katherine keeps taking things apart, Jane's painting on every single surface in all different mediums, I don't know what Luke is planning and Thomas has made a mess of the backyard with his 'weights'!"

"It's got thirty-nine ingredients and I've spent my whole life on this!…

I knew something else would come up, and that it was important, but I just couldn't figure it out. Oh, no, maybe some of those therapists are right and I am going insane. Nothing makes sense anymore, Grace sending us on a quest, it somehow being related to my story, that my family knows about this, does Amy and Dan know about this, is this what Grace thought I knew about and didn't want me telling them? It made my head spin, but I knew I had to be in this, even if it was just for answers.

"What you now hold is a bank voucher," Mr. McIntyre stated, as everyone else was holding a green slip of paper. "It shall only be activated if and when you renounce your claim to the challenge. If you so choose, each of you may walk out of this room with one million dollars and never have to think of Grace Cahill or her last wishes again. Or… you may choose a clue- a single clue that will be your only inheritance. No money. No property. Just a single clue that might lead you to the most important treasure in the world and make you powerful beyond belief… or it might kill you. One million dollars or the clue. You have five minutes to decide."

And I just sat there, most people left the room after much squabbling and yelling at poor Mr. McIntyre. Those who stayed were Amy and Dan, the Holts, Irina Spasky, the Starlings, Jonah Wizard, Alistair Oh, and my siblings. I still had not even reached under my chair for the envelope, no one had yet given up their million, but Ian and Natalie were walking up there now, having finished bothering Amy and Dan. Then the rest of them followed suit and Amy, Dan and I were the only left undecided.

"What's wrong brother? Can't step up to the challenge?"

"No, I can accept this challenge as easily as decline it. And I might do just that." I bent over and ripped the envelope from under my chair.

Ian seemed to pale a bit. "No, no. Why don't we be a team? Us siblings."

"Really? I've always thought you liked to pretend you had nothing to do with me. Maybe I'll join Amy and Dan to make a team."

"Really? You want to be dragging around that luggage? This game can take us all around the world you know."

"Oh, I know, but I'll go talk to Amy and Dan first." I get up, but instead of going over to Amy and Dan I go to Mr. McIntyre. "I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Could I accept the challenge, giving up my million, and then give the clue to someone who didn't? So that they have the clue and the million?"

"I don't believe that would go along with Madame Cahill's wishes, so I would say no, you are not allowed to do that."

"Alright, fine, here's mine, I'm in." I hand out the whole envelope, I hadn't even bothered opening it. He handed back the manila colored envelope with the red wax seal.

"Thank you." Then I head over to Amy and Dan. "Are you going to accept?"

"I don't know." answers Amy.

"I tried to see if I could give you the clue and let you keep the million, but he says it's against the rules."

"Oh," Amy sniffled. "Do you think we should accept?"

"I think you should do what you think Grace would want you to do."

"Ok." Amy says, and she got up, took both vouchers and burned them. Taking up the challenge.

"So, Dan, are you ok with Amy burning the vouchers?"

"Why would you care, Rigel?" asks Dan in a non-too kind voice.

"Because we're friends, right?" I ask, surprised at this sudden hostility.

"No, you're friends with Amy. We were discussing whether or not to keep the millions when you budded in. You're taking my sister away from me," he wiped his eyes, "Not that I care, she's sooooooooooooo annoying."

"Ok, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying. I won't pull Amy away from you."

"Yeah, cuz you're not going to be on our team."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Review and tell me what you thought, I know you know how awesome it is when you check your email and see you've got reviews!<strong>


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